The present invention relates generally to an improved face mask assembly particularly adapted for use with infants and, more particularly, to an improved medical face mask assembly including a detachable pacifier.
Normal operative procedures require a patient to fast prior to surgery in order to reduce the problems associated with regurgitated material during an operation. As a consequence, patients are often hungry and thirsty when anesthesia is induced. Often therefore, many patients, such as infants, will cry during pre-operative procedures making anesthesia induction difficult. Many children will suck vigorously at the edge of a standard face mask as the anesthesiologist attempts to place the mask over infants' faces. While such suckling quiets a child, it will often prevent the face mask from being properly positioned on the child's face and, therefore, prevent a tight seal from being formed around the edge of the mask in order to perform a smooth and rapid inhalational induction of an anesthetic gas. Additionally, the smell and/or taste of such masks may be unappealing and therefore less acceptable to a child. Accordingly, many pediatric anesthesiologists have resorted to giving a pacifier to the infant prior to inducing the anesthesia. Giving a pacifier to the infant, however, usually requires the anesthesiologist to use a larger face mask, which increases the dead space (the term "dead space" being defined as the volume of space which can contain and trap a potentially unacceptably large quantity of user-exhausted carbon dioxide that can be rebreathed by a patient and includes anatomical areas, such as the oropharynx and trachea, as well as the physical space between the interior of a medical face mask and the portion of the surface area of the face the mask covers) and makes it more difficult to maintain a tight fit of the mask to the face. Increasing the dead space can lead to respiratory complications. Where an infant is provided with a separate pacifier during anesthesia induction, should it be necessary to perform a ventilatory procedure, the mask and pacifier often have to be removed in order that proper suctioning can be accomplished.
A prior art face mask is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,000,706 U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,476,194 and 3,139,088 illustrates inhaling devices including tubes adapted to be inserted in the mouth. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,521,084, 3,809,079 and 4,470,413 show face mask assemblies with air ways adapted to be inserted into the mouth of a patient. None of these devices are satisfactory in calming infant patients during anesthesia induction. While pacifier assemblies are certainly known (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,612,165) none are adapted to be attached to medical face masks, such as those used for anesthesia induction or respiration functions.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved face mask assembly which reduces or overcomes the above-noted problems.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved face mask assembly designed to promote suckling and quiet the patient while providing an adequate passageway for transporting air or an anesthetic gas to a patient.
Another specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved face mask assembly including a detachable pacifier and designed so as to more easily provide a tight seal around the face mask.
And another specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved face mask usable with or without a detachable pacifier.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved face mask assembly including a pacifier attachable to a face mask in such a manner so as to prohibit oral entrainment or swallowing by the patient of all or portions of the assembly.
Yet another specific object of the present invention is to provide a face mask assembly including an attachable pacifier incorporated with a flavoring or fragrance so as to enhance the acceptance of the assembly by an infant patient.
And still another specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved face mask assembly including an attachable pacifier in which a ventilation procedure can be performed without removing the assembly from the patient.
And yet another specific object of the present invention is to reduce the physical dead space within a face mask, as well as the anatomical dead space in the patient, when the face mask is properly positioned on a patient's face.
And still another specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved pacifier constructed to be easily attached to a face mask for pre-operative and operative procedures, and used with an attachable shield for pre- and post-operative care.